Predators

https://youtu.be/Pl_-VGj-z1E

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Osprey arrive on Cape Cod in the spring. Some have migrated from as far away as South America. The females pair with a male, and after building/repairing nests and courtship, they mate, the female lays eggs and incubates them. The female does most of the incubation while the male does most of the fishing prior to hatching of the young.

Osprey are one of the few raptors that rely almost exclusively on live fish as their food source. Between March and May, the main fish staple is anadromous River Herring that are migrating from salt to fresh water.

The lagoon area of Oyster Pond in Falmouth, MA is an ideal hunting ground for the Osprey since it is shallow and the River Herring pass through this lagoon to Oyster Pond.

Osprey hover over potential prey, and if the decision is made to target a fish, the bird descends making adjustments as necessary to continually align its talons to the target. Osprey make contact with the water with talons extended. They may completely submerge to catch a fish that is a few feet below the surface. Although misses occur, osprey are remarkably successful at catching fishes. The fish may be partially eaten by the male before bringing the remainder to the nest.

https://youtu.be/gZaC8OXBMSc

https://youtu.be/nMw-PspfdkQ

Humans

Humans, through recreational and commercial fishing, are one of the major striped bass predators. Striped Bass populations declined in the 1970’s and 1980’s with the commercial catch dropping from 14.7 million pounds in 1973 to 1.7 million pounds in 1983. This decline resulted from both overfishing and habitat decline. See the Legislation section of this site for more details on how Atlantic Coast states have reversed this trend. A popular site for recreational fishing is on the jetty in front of the National Marine Fisheries building in Woods Hole.